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Do you look after someone? Support for you if you’re a carer
2020/21 edition
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Who is a carer?
If you look after, help or support someone who wouldn’t be able to manage everyday
life without your help, you are a carer. You don’t have to live with the person, and the
help you give doesn’t have to be physical care – it might be emotional support, or
more practical help. You may be caring for a partner, another family member, a
friend or a neighbour. This includes young carers who look after an adult family
member.
The person you look after, help or support might:
• be an older person
• have a physical disability
• have a long term health condition
• live with a mental health condition
• have issues with substance misuse, or
• have a learning disability, or autism.
If you look after, help or support an adult, but are not paid for doing so, this leaflet is
for you.
If you are caring for a child who needs care and support, contact:
Amaze – SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs & Disability Information, Advice
and Support Service) East Sussex
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01273 772289
If you are a parent carer of a disabled child up to age 18 you
can ask for a carer’s assessment. For more information visit:
www.eastsussex.gov.uk/childrenandfamilies
Assessing your support needs
If you provide, or plan to provide, unpaid support to someone who could not manage
without your help, the law says you have a right to your own needs assessment,
even if the person you care for has refused an assessment of their own needs.
Your needs assessment will look in more detail with you at your needs, strengths,
wider support network and community, as well as the difficulties you’re experiencing,
and work with you to find solutions.
You can complete a carers assessment online or by contacting Health and Social
Care Connect:
www.eastsussex.gov.uk/socialcare
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Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0345 60 80 191
If you need help completing your carers assessment yourself the East Sussex
Carers Centre, Care for the Carers is also able to help you. Contact Care for the
Carers:
www.cftc.org.uk
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01323 738390
Text: 07860 077300
Eligibility Criteria
To confirm if you are eligible for support we use ‘eligibility criteria’ set by the
government. There are three questions that we will look at in relation to eligibility for
carers:
1. Are your needs the result of you providing necessary care?
2. Does your caring role have an effect on you? This could be an effect on your
physical or mental health, or that caring prevents you from doing something that is
important to you. We call these outcomes and these are listed below.
• caring responsibilities for a child
• providing care to other persons
• maintaining a habitable home environment
• managing and maintaining nutrition
• developing and maintaining family/personal relationships
• engaging in work, training, education or volunteering
• making use of accessing necessary facilities or services in
• the community
• engaging in recreational activities.
3. Is there, or could there be, a significant impact on your wellbeing?
You do not need to have an assessment to be able to access carer support. There
are range of organisations commissioned to support to carers. Get in touch with the
East Sussex Carers Centre, Care for the Carers for more information about what is
available.
Supporting you to care
If you are struggling to look after the person you care for, it might be helpful for them
to have their own social care needs assessment. If it shows they have eligible needs,
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we can discuss options available to support them and reduce some of your caring
responsibilities.
Respite care
Respite care allows you to take a break from caring, while the person you care for is
looked after by someone else. Respite care is considered a service to the person
you care for and they will have to have their own needs assessment to find out if
they meet the ‘eligibility criteria’.
There are a range of respite care options that could be provided to support you and
the person you care for, this can be:
• in the home of the person you care for,
• in a residential or nursing home, or
• through activities in the community.
These services are normally chargeable to the cared for person.
You can find out more in the leaflet ‘What you will need to pay towards the cost of
your care and support’.
Respite for healthcare appointments and training
You can apply for funding to meet the cost of respite care so you can attend your
own healthcare appointments, for example the GP, dentist or hospital. We will cover
the cost of replacement care for the person you support, so there is no extra cost to
you or the person you care for.
You can also use this service to make time to learn new skills to help you in your
caring role, such as first aid or dealing with stress.
For more information, and to apply for a health appointments respite grant contact
the East Sussex Carers Centre, Care for the Carers, you can find their contact
details on page 5.
If the person you support has home care or respite at home arranged by us, you can
contact the provider directly to arrange for a care worker to look after the person you
care for while you are out, or to accompany you and the person you care for to the
appointment. You need to contact the provider in good time to allow them to arrange
the replacement care. Please tell them as soon as possible if your appointment is
changed or cancelled.
Telecare
Telecare is a range of assistive technology to help vulnerable people live
independently and give you peace of mind the person you look after is safe and well.
The main unit can be linked to a variety of sensors that can detect various problems,
such as a fall, gas leak, power cut and much more. It can be used to give reminders
to take medicines, eat and drink regularly and other tasks to the person you look to
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allow you to leave the house, go to work or get a good night’s sleep knowing you will
be alerted if there is a problem.
TeleCheck
TeleCheck is a personal, proactive phone service to ensure adults are supported to
live safely and securely in their own community and with information to maintain their
wellbeing.
It offers a schedule of phone calls for up to six months, the calls could be welfare
checks, prompts to eat or drink, reminders for medication or just a brief informal chat
to relieve anxiety.
Please contact Health and Social Care Connect using the contact details at the front
of this leaflet.
Flexi TeleCheck
Flexi TeleCheck gives carers access to short breaks without too much planning
ahead or a regular planned short break. The carer can leave home for up to four
hours at a time and the cared for person can have as many calls over this time as is
appropriate. Get in touch with the East Sussex Carers Centre, Care for the Carers
for more information about the scheme you can find their contact details on page 5.
Support for you
Back care
Back pain is common among carers. Even the simple task of helping someone to
dress or move from a bed to a chair can take its toll on your back. If you have back
pain, don’t ignore it, contact your GP for help and advice.
Health and Social Care Connect (HSCC) can also refer you to an Occupational
Therapy clinic for information and advice about protecting your back.
The clinics can help provide equipment and small adaptations around your home
quickly to support the person you care for. Please contact Health and Social Care
Connect using the contact details at the front of this leaflet.
East Sussex Carer’s Card
As an unpaid carer you might worry about what would happen to the person you
care for if you had an accident or were suddenly taken ill.
The East Sussex Carers Card is free to all carers looking after someone in East
Sussex and enables you to set up an emergency plan with CRESS (Carers Respite
Emergency Support Scheme) to include up to three people who could provide
support in an emergency.
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You can register your CRESS either by contacting Care for the Carers or through
ASC as part of your carer’s assessment. Once registered you are given a card to
carry with you which includes a 24/7 Phone number to activate your plan at any time.
The East Sussex Carer’s Card also offers carers savings and discounts at a variety
of retail and leisure venues in East Sussex, businesses that take part in the scheme
may display a Carer’s Card sticker in their window.
Get in touch with the East Sussex Carers Centre, Care for the Carers for more
information about the scheme and also for information about the businesses taking
part in the scheme. You can find their contact details on page 5.
Young carers
If you are under 18 and looking after a family member, this could be a parent or a
brother or sister, then you are a considered to be a young carer. The family member
you care for may have health concerns such as alcohol addiction, drug misuse,
depression, personality disorders, MS or cancer.
Many young carers often do extra jobs in and around the home, such as cooking and
cleaning or helping someone to get washed and dressed. Being a young carer can
sometimes get in the way of concentrating on school work or being able to get out
and spend time with friends; it can impact on day to day living.
East Sussex Young Carers offer support to young carers aged 5 to 17.
This can be information, advice, guidance and signposting through the Young Carers
Hub. They also offer opportunities to meet other young people in similar situations,
get support and have fun!
If you need it, you can also get face to face support from trained staff, and in some
situations this can be for the whole family.
East Sussex Young Carers
Website: www.imago.community/Children-and-Young-People/
East-Sussex-Young-Carers
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0300 777 2011
Making decisions for someone else
When you are caring for someone you may be required to make decisions on their
behalf. A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets someone
appoint one or more people (known as ‘attorneys’) to help make decisions or to
make decisions on their behalf.
This gives people more control over what happens if they can’t make decisions at
the time they need to be made.
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You can find helpful information on how best to manage someone else’s affairs at
www.gov.uk/make-decisions-for-someone
You can also contact Health and Social Care Connect using the details at the start of
this leaflet to request a copy of our factsheet ‘Information about managing
someone’s affairs’.
Keeping people safe
Everyone has a right to live a life free from abuse and neglect. Safeguarding adults
is about how people can get help to stop abuse and neglect from happening.
Caring for another person can be very rewarding and also very demanding.
Sometimes people who are being cared for can harm or abuse their carer. This may
happen because they have a condition that changes their behaviour. When a carer is
managing a challenging situation, this may lead to them abusing or neglecting the
person they care for whether this is intentional or unintentional.
Abuse and neglect can come in many different forms, including:
• Physical abuse (includes being hit, slapped, kicked, pinched or misuse of
medication)
• Domestic abuse (includes any incident or patterns of incidents of controlling,
coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16
or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members)
• Psychological or emotional abuse (includes being shouted at, ridiculed,
bullied, threatened or controlled by intimidation or fear)
• Neglect and acts of omission (when medical, physical and / or emotional
needs are ignored)
• Financial abuse (when someone misuses or steals money or property,
including scams and being pressurised into giving people money or paying for
things)
• Sexual abuse (includes any sexual activity that someone does not agree to or
cannot agree to)
• Organisational abuse (includes neglect and poor professional practice in a
care setting such as a hospital, care home, or in a person’s own home)
• Self-Neglect (when a person is unable and / or unwilling to care for
themselves or allow others to do so)
• Modern Slavery (this can take many forms including but not limited to slavery,
sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude)
• Discriminatory abuse (occurs when people are harassed, insulted or treated
badly because of age, culture, mental health needs, disability, gender, race,
sexual orientation or religion or belief).
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What you can do
If a crime is in progress, in an emergency or if life is at risk, call 999. To report a
crime when it is not an emergency call 101.
If you have a concern about someone else, let the person know that help is available
and talk to them about what they want to do.
If you suspect abuse or neglect, contact Health and Social Care Connect on 0345 60
80 191 at any time (calls out of HSCC opening hours will be connected to the
Emergency Duty Service).
What will happen next?
We will always take any report of abuse or neglect seriously, and will ensure the
circumstances are looked into fully in a fair and confidential way.
We will:
• talk with the person who is at risk to find out what they want to happen in
relation to the concern
• support the person to have an advocate (someone to represent them) if they
need one
• talk to the police if a crime may have been committed
• talk to other agencies that need to be involved
• agree the best way of helping, including considering other types of support.
What can I do for myself?
This is a checklist of things to consider doing to help yourself in your caring role – it
includes tips from carers who often tell us that they wish they had done these things
earlier in their caring role.
Look after yourself
Caring can be exhausting and it is important to look after your own health and to
make time for yourself. If you struggle to attend your own health appointments
because of your caring role, you can access the Healthcare Appointments Respite
funding, there is more information about this on page 6.
Get Online
The internet is full of information, support and discussion forums relating to carers.
There are also ‘apps’ you can download on your smartphone or tablet that can help
you to make the most of technology, this includes using apps to help with your caring
role. A good first step is to decide what area of your life you might need help with
and then search the app store to see what is available. Many apps are free or very
cheap but make sure you check before you download!
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Jointly App
Jointly is an app that makes caring for someone a little easier, less stressful and a lot
more organised by making communication and coordination between those who
share the care as easy as a text message.
Find out more at www.jointlyapp.com
The internet can also help to make some caring tasks easier,
such as internet banking or online shopping.
Tell your GP
Tell your GP that you are a carer, this can be recorded on your medical records and
you may be eligible for additional support like a free flu vaccination or health check.
If you are experiencing stress, anxiety or depression due to your caring role tell your
GP.
Register for online services with your GP so that you can:
• book and cancel appointments
• order repeat prescriptions
• look at your medical records
Include your family and friends
Coping alone may have an impact on your health. Many carers turn to family and
friends for support, and to help them to take a break from caring.
Let people at work know
Continuing to work whilst caring can help you to have a better balance in your life
and provide you with social interaction outside of your caring role but it can also be
daunting.
You are likely to need a range of support at different times; it might be helpful to talk
to your employer about taking some time off or working flexibly. Your employer may
already have advice and support in place for employees with caring responsibilities.
Many carers consider giving up work but it is important to understand the
implications this could have on your income, quality of life and future pension
entitlements.
Find out more about caring for someone whilst working, including your rights at work,
at www.carersuk.org.uk
Make sure you and the person you care for are receiving the right
benefits
There is a range of financial support available for people with disabilities, their carers
and those on a low income, including benefits, tax credits, grants and concessions.
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• If you live in Hastings and Rother or in the Eastbourne, Hailsham, Seaford
and surrounding areas and you need help with a benefits issue call or email,
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0333 344 0681
• If you live in the High Weald, Lewes Havens area and need advice you can
call the Citizens Advice Bureau Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm:
Phone: 03444 111 444
• Some energy and water suppliers will cap your bills if there is someone in the
household receiving a qualifying benefit. Contact your supplier to see if you or
the person you care for qualify. This can be particularly helpful for people who
may use more heating or water as a result of their illness or disability.
• If you are living with of caring for someone with cancer Macmillan Cancer
Support can provide free and confidential benefits advice.
Website: www.macmillan.org.uk
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01323 635989
Connect with the East Sussex Carers Centre
The Carers Centre, operated by Care for the Carers, is the single access point for all
local carer services. Care for the Carers provides information & advice, and
guidance for carers, runs an accredited counselling service, hosts support groups
and activities across the county and can help you to access the wide range of
support available from other organisations.
Getting in touch with services or meeting with other carers can help to reduce the
isolation you might experience as a carer and provides a good opportunity to get
advice from other people in a similar situation.
Website: www.cftc.org.uk
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01323 738390
Text: 07860 077300
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Other support available
East Sussex Carers’ Directory
The Council and the Clinical Commissioning Groups fund a range of services to
carers who look after someone in East Sussex. You can get information and helpful
support from the organisations listed by getting in touch with them directly. Visit the
county council website and search ‘Carers’ Directory’.
Website: www.eastsussex.gov.uk
East Sussex 1Space
East Sussex 1Space is an online directory of care, support and wellbeing services.
There is a whole section containing information for carers about the range of support
provided in your area, from formal health and social care organisations through to
local community groups and initiatives.
Website: www.eastsussex1space.co.uk
Library services
If you are caring for someone who can’t be left alone, East Sussex Library and
Information Services can help you use their services. Please contact them to find out
more about the help available such as the Home Library Service or reminiscence
boxes.
You can also use computers and access the internet for free at your local library.
Computer Buddy Volunteers at the libraries can help people who need help using
computers, the internet and may also be able to help you with your own device too.
Website: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/libraries
Phone: 0345 60 80 196
Care Choices
Care Choices Ltd produces directories of care services and includes advice on
choosing a care home. Contact them for a copy of the
East Sussex edition:
Website: www.carechoices.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0800 389 2077
Support with Confidence
The Support with Confidence scheme can help you find care and support services
that you can trust from people, businesses and organisations that have been
checked and approved for quality, safety and staff training.
Website: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/supportwithconfidence
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Phone: 01323 463440
Care Quality Commission
You can also get information on care providers from the Care Quality Commission
(CQC), the organisation that regulates health and social care services.
Website: www.cqc.org.uk
Phone: 03000 61 61 61
Supply Management Team
The Supply Management Team in Adult Social Care can advise you about arranging
respite care if the person you look after pays for their own care and support.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01323 464060
East Sussex Community Information Service
East Sussex Community Information Service is a website full of local and community
information, developed and managed by East Sussex County Council.
Website: www.escis.org.uk
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01273 481754
National helplines
Carers UK
Carers UK is a national charity providing information and advice to carers and the
professionals who support carers.
Website: www.carersuk.org
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0808 808 7777 (10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday)
Carers Trust
Carers Trust is a national charity providing help and advice to carers. Their website
includes a section ‘Online Communities’ where carers of all age groups can chat with
other carers as well as a relationship guide offering advice about the strain caring
can put on relationships.
Website: www.carers.org
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0300 772 9600
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Getting involved
Carers Voices Network
The Carers Voices Network is facilitated by Care for the Carers and helps carers
play an active part in planning, developing, monitoring and evaluating services.
Through focus groups, an annual conference and regular consultations, the Carers
Voices Network ensures they sit on relevant local service planning and development
groups. By doing this carers have the opportunity to have their say on the important
issues that affect them, it also informs Care for the Carers’ strategic work speaking
up with and for carers.
For more information on the Carers Voices Network please contact Care for the
Carers:
Website: www.cftc.org.uk
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01323 738390
Text: 07860 077300
Small Grants for Carers Groups
Small grants, up to £500 per year, are available for groups to fund projects, events,
activities or training which directly benefit carers. Application forms can be found
here: www.cftc.org.uk/smallgrants
The People Bank
If you would like to be involved in shaping our services, we are always looking for
new members to join the People Bank. The People Bank is a database of volunteers
who have an interest in our services. Membership is voluntary and there are many
ways you can be involved. Once you have joined and told us how you’d like to be
involved, the People Bank team will be able to match you with opportunities when
they are available.
Website: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/socialcare
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01273 481565
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If you want to make a complaint or give feedback about
your experience of social care
We want to provide quality services for everyone in East Sussex, so it’s always
helpful when you tell us what you think whether this is good or bad.
If you want to compliment a member of staff or service you can contact the team
directly.
If you want to make a complaint, it’s also a good start to contact the person or team
who has been involved in the situation you want to complain about. They will try to
sort things out quickly.
If you would rather speak to someone else contact our Complaints and Feedback
Team to give us any feedback including suggestions or compliments.
Adult Social Care Complaints and Feedback Team
East Sussex County Council
St. Anne’s Crescent
County Hall
Lewes, BN7 1UE
Phone: 01273 481242
Text message: 07797 877777
Email: [email protected]
For more information about making comments or complaints please read our leaflet
‘Your feedback is important to us’. You can get this leaflet from our website
eastsussex.gov.uk/socialcare if you want someone to make a complaint on your
behalf, please also read our factsheet ‘Independent advocacy – someone to speak
up for you’. You can also request these by contacting Health and Social Care
Connect using the details at the front of this leaflet.
